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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cap — a hat
  3. capital — a city
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pop — music
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. capital — money
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pop — soda
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cap — a lid
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rock — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com